Sunday's letters: Nominating conventions

Published: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 22, 2013 at 5:17 p.m.

On Monday, the Republican Party will hold reorganizing meetings to elect precinct officers, vote on resolutions and sign up for conventions.

At my precinct, we will consider a resolution to nominate U.S. senators and other statewide officials by convention in 2014. No one is talking about eliminating primaries. It’s a one-time effort to send a message to state representatives that we want a genuine two-party system in this state. The resolution won’t call for district and county nominating conventions.

The SCGOP has had a plank in its platform calling for registration by party for years, during which time the party has controlled the Governor’s Office and both houses of the General Assembly. Unfortunately, key committee chairs in Columbia refuse to advance bills permitting registration by party.

Are conventions worse than primaries? Not according to our Founders, who considered themselves to be creating a republic and wanted, as often as reasonably possible, to decide important matters in assemblies of representatives rather than by direct election because such assemblies foster deliberation before taking action.

Political scientists call this “the deliberate sense of the community” and consider it a healthy approach to decision-making. Examples include legislative bodies, the Electoral College, conventions and the Supreme Court. Rather than being a radical innovation, a nominating convention is a moderating, quintessentially small “r” republican idea. It may also lead to restoring two-party government in South Carolina.

Oligarchs don’t favor two-party systems; they prefer to avoid that kind of check and balance on the ruling party. We the people, however, should prefer a two-party system. I do.

Those interested in how we choose Republican candidates in South Carolina should be part of the process by going to their usual voting precincts at 7 p.m. Monday, and bring a check for $40 and a resolution, if you wish.

Christina Jeffrey

Spartanburg

Elect a true conservative

A recent letter about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s reaction to Sen. Rand Paul’s filibuster was right on the money. Let me say from the start, I am not a Republican or a Democrat but rather an independent American voter.

I have followed Sen. Graham’s voting record for several years, and he votes the way he wants to vote, not reflective of the wishes of the voters of South Carolina. I would agree that he is a true RINO.

The time has long passed for both political parties to do what is best for America, not what they want, and a political party should never come before our country.

Next year, we have a chance to rid our beloved state of Graham as our senator, and the Republican Party of South Carolina needs to take a hard look at him. Folks, just look at his vote to give Egypt all that money.

Let’s take back that Senate seat and put a true conservative in it. We don’t have a lot of time left.

<p>On Monday, the Republican Party will hold reorganizing meetings to elect precinct officers, vote on resolutions and sign up for conventions.</p><p>At my precinct, we will consider a resolution to nominate U.S. senators and other statewide officials by convention in 2014. No one is talking about eliminating primaries. It's a one-time effort to send a message to state representatives that we want a genuine two-party system in this state. The resolution won't call for district and county nominating conventions.</p><p>The SCGOP has had a plank in its platform calling for registration by party for years, during which time the party has controlled the Governor's Office and both houses of the General Assembly. Unfortunately, key committee chairs in Columbia refuse to advance bills permitting registration by party.</p><p>Are conventions worse than primaries? Not according to our Founders, who considered themselves to be creating a republic and wanted, as often as reasonably possible, to decide important matters in assemblies of representatives rather than by direct election because such assemblies foster deliberation before taking action.</p><p>Political scientists call this “the deliberate sense of the community” and consider it a healthy approach to decision-making. Examples include legislative bodies, the Electoral College, conventions and the Supreme Court. Rather than being a radical innovation, a nominating convention is a moderating, quintessentially small “r” republican idea. It may also lead to restoring two-party government in South Carolina.</p><p>Oligarchs don't favor two-party systems; they prefer to avoid that kind of check and balance on the ruling party. We the people, however, should prefer a two-party system. I do.</p><p>Those interested in how we choose Republican candidates in South Carolina should be part of the process by going to their usual voting precincts at 7 p.m. Monday, and bring a check for $40 and a resolution, if you wish.</p><p><em>Christina Jeffrey</em></p><p><em>Spartanburg</em></p><h3>Elect a true conservative</h3>
<p>A recent letter about Sen. Lindsey Graham's reaction to Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster was right on the money. Let me say from the start, I am not a Republican or a Democrat but rather an independent American voter.</p><p>I have followed Sen. Graham's voting record for several years, and he votes the way he wants to vote, not reflective of the wishes of the voters of South Carolina. I would agree that he is a true RINO.</p><p>The time has long passed for both political parties to do what is best for America, not what they want, and a political party should never come before our country.</p><p>Next year, we have a chance to rid our beloved state of Graham as our senator, and the Republican Party of South Carolina needs to take a hard look at him. Folks, just look at his vote to give Egypt all that money.</p><p>Let's take back that Senate seat and put a true conservative in it. We don't have a lot of time left.</p><p><em>David Luttrell</em></p><p><em>Cowpens</em></p>